Making a leap
This is going to be a great journal entry, because I feel like I’ve made a leap – both physically and mentally – and it’s changed my whole perception on life.
By Daniel Shires
·September 24, 2024

I started a journey of timeboxing as a way to manage my time – and it worked for a while, until it didn’t.
I think I’ve always tried to find strategies to improve my productivity and focus, and to be intentional with how I live my life, and this alongside GTD, was a way of managing and fulfilling this goal.
I saw timeboxing as a way to manage my bad habbits, as a way to determine my future before I had a chance to think about it.
This had some mixed results, really positive at first, then drifting away slightly.
Bad habits returned.
What changed
I also found that despsite exercising more, I wasn't receiving many benefits. Physically I felt better, but not at the progression levels I was expecting.
I had a realisation that my approach to physical activity was single minded. I thought that I could sit around all day at work, do 45 min of exercise and then sit back down again - and expect that to make a tangible difference in my life.
I was able to reframe how I thought about movement.
That consistent daily movement was way more important to my health and wellbeing. Instead of doing one full burst, I would start to focus on many smaller bursts throughout the day.
I set the challenge of doing 10k steps a day, and over the past 3 or 4 months, it has been nothing sort of transformative.
Since July 24 I have averaged 11k steps compared to 7k steps. More than this, it has radically changed my approach to my lifestyle.
I have stopped drinking completely and have now done 87 days without a drink.
I feel more mindful with my phone, I stop and think before I pick it up.
My physical and mental health has become supercharged.
I’ve now made another massive step, changed my whole morning routine, and have started waking up at 4am.
I workout at 4am, study from 5am. I then get to spend time with the kids before they go out in the morning.
This has improved my other habits and mental acuity.
I feel more:
- Sharper
- Stronger
- Mindful
- Energised
- Focused
- Caring
- Positive
The list can go on… but overall I’m feeling extremely excited about the future.
I know there will be challenges, barriers put up against me, but it’s down to me and my mindset to smash past them and grow.